None.
Not applicable.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a seal apparatus for a commode. It is an alternate means of sealing as compared to the present means of using a wax ring as a seal.
2. Background Information
A current means of sealing the juncture of a commode with a drain pipe is a wax seal.
A shortcoming is that the wax seal is often not reusable. Replacement is often required if the commode is removed from the seal, which can happen for various reasons, such as floor refinishing.
The wax seal is also prone to damage.
As will be seen from the subsequent description, the preferred embodiments of the present invention overcome these and other shortcomings of prior art.
The present invention is a seal apparatus useful as a seal between a commode and a drain pipe comprising, in the preferred embodiment, a pipe extension, a gasket, a flanged base, and a cover plate.
The gasket comprises a sealing lip, a pipe extension clearance, and a gasket sealing surface.
The flanged base comprises inside and outside pipe bonding surfaces, a base sealing surface, a base drain, and a groove.
The flanged base is bondable to a drain pipe.
With the gasket placed in the flanged base, and with a commode with the pipe extension placed on the flanged base with the pipe extension inserted into the gasket, with the base sealing surface sealed by the sealing lip, a seal is enabled between the commode and the drain pipe.
The flanged base comprises an inside pipe bonding surface and an outside pipe bonding surface, each sized so that the flanged base can either be placed over, and be bondable to, or into, and be bondable to, the drain pipe. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the flanged base bonding surfaces are sized to permit the flanged base to be usable with either a 3 inch or a 4 inch schedule 40 drain pipe.
The vertical position of the pipe extension with respect to the gasket is variable, thereby permitting variations of heights of the commode with respect to the gasket.
The cover plate comprises an annular ring that engages the flanged base groove, retaining the cover plate in position over the flanged base, closing the base drain, as required.